NEW OSHODI - Outcome of a WHY NOT ?Paradigm -Part 2

PART 2

As I started in Part 1, the question was, have you seen the new Oshodi? For those who have not seen the new Oshodi, let me try to paint a picture.

Most people in Lagos going to the airport now prefer to go through Oshodi because you can get to the Murtala Airport in less than 30 minutes from 3rd Mainland at any time of the day or night.

I remeber the last time I travelled to the Unites States, I went to the office in Victoria Island that morning, closed after 5pm, went for a shave at about 7pm and I still made it on time to the airline counter .I was about the 10th person on the queue to obtain my boarding pass (checking closed at 9pm). I could not try this before now ( I missed a flight to Kenya about 4 years ago because I left the Victoria Island at about 4:30pm for a flight of 11pm - checking closed at 9pm ).

Also, coming from the airport to Lagos Island especially from the local airport about 3 or 4 years ago,nobody I know in his or her right senses would think of going through Oshodi at whatever time of the day (certainly not at night). However,I waltz through Oshodi Isale , climb the bridge and get unto 3rd mainland bridge now. Infact, the roads are so free I once had a friend who had been out of the country and just came home asking if a particular access link we were taking in Oshodi existed before then.I laughed while explaining that it had always been there but you could not see or drive through because it was blocked 24hours of the day by wares and goods displayed by hawkers.

Vehicles now queue appropriately .Even amazing is the fact that they seem to be orderly.No more paraga sellers/joint for miscreants. The railway lines are now free of hawkers and their goods.Stench and sight of excreta are no more and more importantly, people walk around Oshodi without fear of molestation.

Truth is Oshodi is not paradise yet but it is a long way from the hell it was some years back.

This piece is not particularly about the transformation of Oshodi but about the fact that a man asked WHY NOT? Someone dared to ask not just why? but why not? Why not shake the status quo if it is not the right thing? Why not see how to make a difference rather than giving into the same "what can I do about it?" syndrome. Some may argue that Fashola is the governor/leader so he has the power to do anything but I disgree with that line of thought. Successive governors (even military governors who people presumed had the power of life and death) could not do anything about Oshodi.So it is not the position but the paradigm and thinking of the person.

Most importantly for me, the Oshodi phenomenon as I would like to call it simply shows me that there is hope for my nation.

I draw a parallel between Oshodi and Nigeria. The hawkers are like everyday Nigerians who are set in their ways and do not see what they are doing as having debilitating effect on others.Afterall, they are just trying to eke a living.The Area boys and miscreants are like the barons and cabals in different fields (oil & gas bunkerers, power and generators sellers who would not allow PHCN/NEPA work ) of endeavours who hold us all to ransome and successive governments have been afraid to tackle because they are important to votes and who gets to be in government (just like the area boys were in Lagos - believe me they were powerful). The excreta and urine being the stench of corruption (of course product from the Area boys, hawkers etc). and so on. The parallel is striking (topic for another day).

Until you and I decide to start to ask not just why we need to make a change, and start to ask why not? Why not make a change? why not push the envelope. Challenge status quo that are ruining our lives. Question long-term held beliefs about power brokers and how powerful they really are (most of them derive their powers from our fears of them).

We need to stop taking excuses from ourselves (as individuals) and then from our government and leaders in different areas.

Anytime anyone puts a limit on our collective fortune or wellbeing and is telling us why, we need to ask why not break the ceiling?. W need to ask why not have a better way of life?, why can we not change our environment?

As for me, my mind is made up.Anytime anyone tells me Nigeria can not change, I am ready to ask why not?If I am told that is how it has always been, I would ask why not change it?why not start? If I hear it is too difficult for one man, I would ask why not try and try again? If I am told it cannot be done. I would ask why not push the envelope?.

So I ask you, why not join me?, why not start with yourself and your neighbourhood?.

Why not believe and make a difference?.

Anytime I hear it cannot be done, I'll ask why but more importantly, why not? Look at the NEW OSHODI!!!

NEW OSHODI - Outcome of a "WHY NOT?" paradigm - part 1

PART 1

Have you seen Oshodi lately? I am sure for Nigerians living abroad (at least those who left not less than 3 years ago) whose last experience was having to go through Oshodi (I am sure you remember spending not less than 2-3hrs on a journey of less than 500m on the Oshodi bridge) to get to the airport would find it a little bit difficult to relate to the new look Oshodi.Even some of us living here still find it a bit difficult to believe - monitoring with bated breadth to ensure it does not go back to being the Oshodi of old.

Anyway, for those who do not know of the old Oshodi, a brief description of what I (funny enough) faintly remember (kai, it shows to forget poverty does not take too long o, once you start to enjoy (lol)).

First thing that strikes you about Oshodi is the sea of heads - literally,I mean.Lots of people packed like sardine who seem to be going nowhere and yet everywhere.Chaotic order of some sort.More of a coordinated mess.So many people who push and shove themselves hardly getting a place to put their feet (now that is Oshodi). Along the railway lines, street hawkers display their wares sometimes right on the railway lines and would scamper to remove their goods only when they hear the distant hooting of an oncoming train.You can bet the wares are back immediately the train leaves (sometimes as it is leaving). In the midst of this, are the Molues and Danfos (passenger buses) queueing endlessly and justling with pedestrians for every available space.With 27 seating and 99 standing passengers (as Fela would say), you will still see conductors struggling to load more passengers even when it is evident there is no more shred of space left. The drivers drive like they are on crack early in the morning, on acid/ecstacy in the afternoon and at night on heroine (so no time of the day is one safe).The roads were of no help either, full of potholes.It can take you up to 30minutes (okay so I exaggerate a bit) to go from one end of the pedestrian bridge to the other end not because the footbridge is that long but because of the sheer number of people at any time shoving and pushing to walk on the bridge and also numerous hawkers and sellers displaying wares/goods on the pedestrian bridge.A lot don't even bother to use the bridge.You would see lots of people weaving between cars and buses to cross the road. Okada drivers are a special breed in oshodi as well.

You were sure to find area boys (miscreants, muggers,swindlers,drug addicts,pick pockets, etc) all around.Lest I forget, the ever present disgusting sight and smell of excreta and urine (or is it pure ammonia) is a constant in Oshodi. I have just described Oshodi Isale (or lower Oshodi).

 In the same Oshodi, there is a bridge (this is called Oshodi Oke - or upper Oshodi).Almost a replica of Oshodi Isale except for the railway line (but not the hawkers and their wares, these are ever present). To get to Lagos international airport from the Island, you only had two ways of getting there but the Oshodi bridge was the closer of the two (in Kilometres).However, it took forever to get to the airport because of the hold up, bad driving, hawkers taking over half the road with their wares, street urchins stealing and causing distractions etc.

I forgot to mention paraga sellers, usually women or young ladies with trays of concotion on their heads made of herbs mixed with some strong liquor - gin, ogogoro,palmwine and so on.Their customers? drivers, conductors, area boys and so on. You would sometimes find the cause of a major hold early in the morning is a driver who has stopped godsmack in the middle of the road to take his first shot of paraga  for the day and every other person behind him could go to hell (and of course you will see the young paraga seller flashing you an apologetic smile - goodness!!!).

During the era of past administrations, cries have gone out to different governors of the state to do something about Oshodi but successive governments left us the same way. Some even swore it was not possible.Others said the problems were too great for any government to tackle.Some experts even told us the untold economic hardship and unbearable effects of "disrupting the oshodi structure". Above all, governments asked why? Why should we disrupt a way of life? Why should we bother ourselves with this ernomous and seemingly insurmountable problem? why? why? why?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mot72pmBTk8

PS: By the way, I found this picture of Oshodi after I finished writing and memories just flooded me like water -I was almost overwhelmed.Also, the link is from China but hilariously reminds me of Oshodi Railway line (of course Oshodi was not that dramatic but they sure shared a lot in common)